In trying to groom the franchise's next young top-of-the-order threat, the Astros are running into an unintended hurdle, but one that doesn't necessarily bother the organization.

Jay Austin, a speedy lefthanded-hitting outfielder at high Class A Lancaster, has to remember that he's viewed as a table setter rather than, for lack of a better term in baseball's thesaurus, an eater. Not that the pop he's shown in spurts in his second full professional season is a bad side effect.

“He does have some power,” said assistant general manager Ricky Bennett, who handles player development. “We have to remind him from time to time, ‘Hey, you've got to keep working on your bunting.' ”

Austin, who won't celebrate his 20th birthday until August, got off to a hot start at the leadoff spot in the order for the California League's JetHawks. He notched six extra-base hits in his first 12 games — three doubles, two triples and a home run.

Still, there are no delusions of a future cleanup hitter in the body of the man who is listed at 5-10 and 170 pounds.

“I think eventually he'll be a No. 1 or No. 2 hitter,” Bennett said.

Austin has tailed off a little bit, finishing play on Sunday hitting .241 with a .333 on-base percentage and a .380 slugging percentage.

Meanwhile, he's been refining the smaller parts of his offensive game, which the Astros hope will get him to the big leagues, in addition to his center-field defense.

“We've really been focused on his plate discipline and his bunting,” Bennett said. “That has to be a part of his game, (and it's) something we talked about (a lot) in spring training.”

Now among the youngest players in the California League, Austin is widely seen as a fairly raw talent but among the best athletes in the Astros' system.

Hooks place Abad on DL

The conversion of lefthanded pitcher and 40-man roster newcomer Fernando Abad has hit a bit of a snag at Class AA Corpus Christi. After four starts, Abad came down with some minor shoulder soreness and fatigue.

With an extra pitcher on the roster and righthander Jeremy Johnson ready to come off the disabled list, the Hooks shelved Abad, but the injury shouldn't last much longer than the seven days of a minor league DL stint.

Abad, 24, was essentially a lifetime reliever until showing some promise as a starter at the end of last season in his promotion to Corpus Christi. He was 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts and four walks in 21 innings at the time of his injury.

Odds and ends

Jason Castro broke his season-opening 15-game streak without an extra-base hit with doubles on Thursday and Friday. Castro ended Sunday with a .230 average and a .262 slugging percentage for Class AAA Round Rock but, thanks to 15 walks in 18 games, still has an on-base percentage of .382. ... Astros assistant GM Ricky Bennett said Class AA shortstop Wladimir Sutil's groin injury i s not serious and that he should be back from the disabled list soon.